Rick Bayless to offer culinary training to low-income students at The Hatchery

Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune

Rick Bayless, chef and co-owner of Frontera Grill and several other Chicago restaurants, says the culinary training program will provide a pipeline into cooking jobs

Rick Bayless, chef and co-owner of Frontera Grill and several other Chicago restaurants, says the culinary training program will provide a pipeline into cooking jobs (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

The Hatchery, a food incubator in East Garfield announced over the summer, officially broke ground today. The 67,000-square-foot and 34-million-dollar project aims to provide logistical support for new food-related businesses. It also hopes to employ 150 in its first year.

If that weren't enough, The Hatchery just announced that it will offer a culinary training program for low-income high school and college age students run by Rick Bayless.

The program will cost a "nominal fee," according to the press release, and will offer basic culinary skills, like knife work and cooking techniques. It will also provide a "pipeline to internships in the kitchens of Chicago's premiere restaurant groups." Names mentioned include such heavy hitters as Paul Kahan, Grant Achatz and Stephanie Izard, among many others.

According to the release, Bayless believes the program can provide opportunities for some of Chicago's poorest residents, while also helping local restaurants find more cooks. “I believe our city is rich with untapped resources," says Bayless. "If we can develop a way to cultivate them, both our restaurants and our community will be the better for it.”

The Hatchery plans to open in the fall of 2018, and the culinary program is set to launch at the same time.